Kpone-Bawaleshie: Human Rights Reporters Ghana demands justice for two teenagers allegedly defiled by paedophile

Human Rights Reporters Ghana (HRRG), a media cum human rights advocacy group has condemned in no uncertain term the alleged defilement of two teenagers in the Kpone-Akatamanso Municipality by Benjamin Narh Okunor, a 64-year-old man, urging the Ghana Police Service to urgently swing into action, arrest and prosecute the suspect to ensure justice is served the victims.

The group, in a statement signed by its Executive Director, Joseph Wemakor noted with grave concern the disgraceful act amounts to a crime under Ghana’s Criminal Code, Chapter 6, therefore should not be allowed to go unpunished.

“The immoral act of the alleged suspect flies in the face of Section 104 which specifically offers definition to defilement of a child under 16 years of age.

It stipulates in sub-section (1) that, ‘For purposes of this Act, defilement is the natural or unnatural carnal knowledge of any child under sixteen years of age.’

It further defines in sub-section (2) that, ‘Whoever naturally or unnaturally carnally knows any child under sixteen years of age, whether with or without his or her consent commits an offence and shall be liable on summary conviction to imprisonment for a term of not less than seven years and not more than twenty-five years.’, the statement reads partly.

The suspect Benjamin Narh, is reported to have gone into hiding after learning that his evil deed has been exposed.

He has been accused of defiling two sisters, aged 12 and 14 for almost two years. According to the media reports, the suspect allegedly threatened the girls with a gun not to inform anyone about what had transpired.

This follows the confirmation of a victim’s school’s headmistress, Ernestina Ohenewaa Larbi the victim repeatedly went for a sanitary pad which made her suspect there was something wrong with the pupil.

She thus invited the mother and they together interrogated the victim who later disclosed that she has been sexually abused by one Benjamin Narh Okunor, the prime suspect.

Miss Larbi revealed that the victim’s mother had earlier wanted the matter be resolved at a family level but she disagreed and reported the case to the social welfare before the department subsequently reported the case to the police.

The victim was later sent to the Shai-Osudoku Government Hospital for examination which the Medical Superintendent of the facility, Dr Kennedy Brightson, established that the victim has been engaged in sexual intercourse multiple times.

The Dodowa Divisional Police Commander is said to have prepared a detailed report and forwarded to the national headquarters in Accra but since the incident broke out, the culprit who is alleged to have flee is yet to be apprehended for prosecution.

The HRRG in a statement also condemns defilement and abuse of child’s rights which is a crime and calls for the protection of child at all times as expressed in the Article 3 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child

Read the full statement below:

About The Author

Ghana24

See author's posts